1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the treatment and prevention of diseases that are primarily due to T cell immune responses. In particular, it relates to the suppression or elimination of certain autoimmune diseases, graft rejection, and allergic disorders by treatment with interleukin-2 (IL-2) and the specific antigen involved, thus allowing the killing of the subpopulation of T cells that recognizes this specific antigen. In this manner, IL-2 pretreatment sensitizes T cells to undergo programmed cell death following T cell receptor engagement.
2. Description of Related Art
Stimulation of the .alpha..beta. antigen receptor of mature T lymphocytes can lead to either proliferation or programmed cell death (1-4). Programmed cell death, termed apoptosis, is one mechanism for the clonal deletion of both thymocytes and mature T cells that establishes tolerance (5-9). A minor population (approximately 5%) of T lymphocytes of unknown function, termed .gamma..delta. cells, has been shown to undergo apoptosis following IL-2 treatment and antigenic stimulation (28). The role of apoptosis in the normal immune response, and the mechanism by which a mature T cell selects between proliferation and death, were not previously understood.